Carbon Efficiency of Humanitarian Supply Chains: Evidence from French Red Cross operations

Natural catastrophes are often amplified by man-made impact on the environment. Sustainability is identified as a major gap in humanitarian logistics research literature. Although humanitarian supply chains are designed for speed and sustainability is of minor concern, environmentally-friendly behavior (e.g. through reduction of transportation emissions and avoidance of non-degradable materials) should be a long-term concern as it may ultimately affect more vulnerable regions. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how green house gas emissions can be measured using the supply chain of common relief items in humanitarian logistics. We analyze the CO2 emissions of selected supply chains by performing Life Cycle Assessments based on data provided by the French Red Cross. We calculate the CO2 emissions of the items from ‘cradle to grave’ including production, transportation, warehousing and disposal. Using these calculations, we show that transporting relief items causes the majority of emissions; however, transportation modes may not always be changed as the main purpose of humanitarian supply chains is speed. Nevertheless, strategic and efficient pre-positioning of main items will translate into less transportation and thus reducing the environmental impact. The study also shows that initiatives for “greening” item production and disposal can improve the overall carbon efficiency of humanitarian supply chains

Display of Cell Surface Sites for Fibronectin Assembly Is Modulated by Cell Adherence to 1F3 and C-Terminal Modules of Fibronectin

BACKGROUND: Fibronectin-null cells assemble soluble fibronectin shortly after adherence to a substrate coated with intact fibronectin but not when adherent to the cell-binding domain of fibronectin (modules (7)F3-(10)F3). Interactions of adherent cells with regions of adsorbed fibronectin other than modules (7)F3-(10)F3, therefore, are required for early display of the cell surface sites that initiate and direct fibronectin assembly. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To identify these regions, coatings of proteolytically derived or recombinant pieces of fibronectin containing modules in addition to (7)F3-(10)F3 were tested for effects on fibronectin assembly by adherent fibronectin-null fibroblasts. Pieces as large as one comprising modules (2)F3-(14)F3, which include the heparin-binding and cell adhesion domains, were not effective in supporting fibronectin assembly. Addition of module (1)F3 or the C-terminal modules to modules (2)F3-(14)F3 resulted in some activity, and addition of both (1)F3 and the C-terminal modules resulted in a construct, (1)F3-C, that best mimicked the activity of a coating of intact fibronectin. Constructs (1)F3-C V0, (1)F3-C V64, and (1)F3-C Delta(V(15)F3(10)F1) were all able to support fibronectin assembly, suggesting that (1)F3 through (11)F1 and/or (12)F1 were important for activity. Coatings in which the active parts of (1)F3-C were present in different proteins were much less active than intact (1)F3-C. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that (1)F3 acts together with C-terminal modules to induce display of fibronectin assembly sites on adherent cells

Resolution of inflammation: a new therapeutic frontier

Dysregulated inflammation is a central pathological process in diverse disease states. Traditionally, therapeutic approaches have sought to modulate the pro- or anti-inflammatory limbs of inflammation, with mixed success. However, insight into the pathways by which inflammation is resolved has highlighted novel opportunities to pharmacologically manipulate these processes — a strategy that might represent a complementary (and perhaps even superior) therapeutic approach. This Review discusses the state of the art in the biology of resolution of inflammation, highlighting the opportunities and challenges for translational research in this field

Bioremediation of PCP by Trichoderma and Cunninghamella Strains Isolated from Sawdust

Four fungal isolates, SD12, SD14, SD19 and SD20 isolated from the aged sawdust grew on agar plates supplemented with PCP up to a concentration of 100 mg L-1. At high PCP concentration, isolate SD12 showed the highest radial growth rate of 10 mm day-1, followed by SD14 and SD19 both with 4.5 mm day-1 and SD20 with 4.2 mm day-1. Ultrastructural study on the effect of PCP on the PCP tolerant fungi using scanning electron microscope showed that high concentration of PCP caused the collapse of both fungal hyphae and spores. Among the four PCP tolerant fungi examined, isolate SD12 showed the least structural damage at high PCP concentration of 100 mg L-1. This fungal isolate was further characterized and identified as Cunninghamella sp. UMAS SD12. Preliminary PCP biodegradation trial performed in liquid minimal medium supplemented with 20 mg L-1 of PCP using Cunninghamella sp. UMAS SD12 showed that the degradation up to 51.7% of PCP in 15 days under static growth condition

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018): a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV-associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points